Drum and cymbal attachment for autopneumatic pianos.



J; WIESER. DRUM AND CYMBAL ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOPNEUMATIG PIANOS.AEPLIOATION FILED MAR. 12, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Aug. 24:, 1909.

m IMQ g L W J. WIESER. DRUM AND GYMBAL ATT CHMENT FOR AUTOPNEUMATIGPIANOS.

APPLICATION .IILED MAR. 12. 1909;

9 0 9 1 4 2 5 u A d m n m a P um T E E H s L T E E H S 3 J. WIBSER. DRUMAND OYMBAL ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOPNEUMATIC PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED EAR. 12, 15309.

Patented Aug. 24. 1909.

. 3 SHEETS-SHEET H5 6 wai 8 m UNITED-STATES .rosnrn mean, or s r.mnnsvrntn, nnwxonx, assrenoa To 1. nNeELnAnnT a so JOHNSVILLE, rmwronx,A mm.

PATENT o F-ron 3mm ms eYMBAL'ATrAomN'r non aurornnumrrc' rmnos.

Tou-lZw/mm it may concern:

Be, it known that I, Jo'snrn W1nsnn,a

"citizen of the United States, residing'aat St.

which are pneumatically actuated by the same perforated music sheetwhich actuatesthe-hammers of the piano The invention is well adapted tobe ap-' plied to'pianos which are played in compare,

tively large halls andother places of amuse ment.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 .is a front View of the upperpart of a piano embodying my invention; a side view, artly in section,of Fig.- 1, drawn on menarged scale; Fi 3 areal-view of the bass 'drumandcym al; Fig".- 4 a detail, of thesnare damper and adjoining parts;Fig. 5 a longitudinal vertical section on line 55, Fig. 6, showing thevacuum reducing chamber; Fig.6 a top view of the valve block; Fig. 7 arear view-thereof; Fig. 8a bottom view of art of the block-showing theprimary. 9,11 35 secondary valves for the bass drum;

' through the valve block on lines 99,

1()--10, 1111 and 12-1,2,, respectively, Fig. 5, and Fig. 13 illustratespart of a tune sheet. I v

To the top plate 15 of an autopneumatic iano 16 are secured a bassdrum17,-a cymal 18 and a side drum 19. Bass drum'. .17-

rests upon a suitable support 20 carried, by

'top'plate 15, while cymbal 18 is attached to drum; 17 by a bracket 21.Drum 17 and cymbal '18 are adapted to be simultaneously played by a pairof boaters 22, 23, respec-' 'ti-vely." Theshanks 24, of beaters 22, 23are, by screws 26, 27, secured to the moyable board 28 of apneum'atic orbellows 29 which is mounted on top plate 15' back of bass drum 17. .Whenthe air is withdrawn from bellows 29, the latterwill collapse, so

Specification of Iletters 1 atent. Application filed March lZ, 1909.Serial No. 482,881.

Figs. 9, 1'0, 11 and 12 are 'cross'sections' t-hat beater 22 will'strikedrum-head 17 while beater 23 will simultaneously engage the rim ofcymbal 18, to sound the'latter'. In order to operate bellows 29,theusual tune sheet '30 for actuating the iano'haminers is provided.with a first ad 'tionalrow of perforations 31, which, in uncovering acorresponding port of duct-bridge 32,- admit air into a tube 33. Thistube is connected to a duct 34 formed below a diaphragm 35 of a primaryvalve action which is composed'of a stem 36, an upper valve disk 37 anda lower valve disk 38, stem 36 being'supported upon diaphragm 35. Stem36 is mounted within a valve block 39 secured at any convenient point tothe piano frame. Valve disl; 3S -.pla 's within a vacuum chamber 40 andcontrQs communication between said chamber and a duct 41, whiledisk 37controls communication between said duct and the atmospherer Duct 41 is,by tube 42, connected to 'a passage 43 formed below the diaphragm 44 ofa secondary valve action arranged within block 39. 'The secondary valveaction comprises a stem 45 resting upon diaphragm 4'4, a lower valvedisk 46 controlling communi -V cation between a vacuum chamber 47 and aduct 48, and an upper valve disk 49 controlling communication betweensaid duct and the atmosphere. Duct 48 is elbow shaped'and is controlledby a rotary valve 50 havlnghandle 51. Valve 50 is,by tube 52 and passage53, connected with bellows 29. From vacuum chambers 40, 47 air isconstantly-withdrawn through du'cts'54, 55, res ectively, whichcommunicate by a longitudlinal channel 56 formed in block 39 and by tube57, with the main exhaust bellows of the instrument j (not shown);

.It will be seen that when a perforation 31 of-tune sheet 30 uncoversthe corresponding port in duct-bridge 32, air will be admitted throughtube 33 to duct 34. As the air is constantly withdrawn from vacuumchamber 40 through duct 54, channel 56 and tube 57,. the opening of duct34 will cause diaphragm 35 to ascend, thereby closing valve 38 and oening valve 37. Air will thusbe admitted nab OF ST.

. Patented Aug. 24,1909.

t rough duct 41,'tube, 42 and passage 43, be-

low diaphragm 44. The air being constantly withdrawn from chamber 47through duct 55,.diapl1ragmA4 will ascend to close valve 49 and openvalve 46. In thjswaybellows 29 be, connected 4 with vacuum chamber '47through tube 52, open valve 50 and duct' 48, so that the, air iswithdrawn-from said bellowszto'cause its collapse and effect acorresponding throw of heaters 22, 23 against bass drum 17 and cymbal18, respectively.

When an imperforate section of tune sheet 30 arrives pos'ite theduct-bridge-port which contro sbellows 29, the air is withdrawn fromduct 34 through" a bleed hole 58 and an angular passage 59, to cause adescent of the primary valve. Valve 37 will thus be closed, while valve38 is opened to connect vacuum chamber 40 with duct 43. In thiswaydiaphragm 44 will descend to close valve 46 and open valve 49. Airwill thus be admitted through open valve 49, duct 48, 0 en valve 50,tube 52 and passage 53, into be lows 29, so that the latter will be exanded by spring 60. I

y properly adjusting valve 50, the vacuwithin pneumatic 29, andconsequently the force of the stroke of heaters. 22, 23 may be adjusted,so as to correspondingly regulate the loudness of the drumand cymbalaccompaniment. By closing valve 50, the instrument may be played withoutsounding either bass drum or cymbal. r

The means for operating the side drum 19 consist of a heater 61 to whicha vib'ratory motion is imparted, while simultaneously a damper 62 isliftedoff the drum-snare 63. Beater 61 and damper 62 are actuated byseparate neumatics or bellows 64, 65, both bellows, .however, beingoperated from one and the same perforation of tune sheet 30, as

will hereinafter be more fully described.

The stem 66 of beater 61 is rigidly connected to the movable board 67 ofbellows 64.

Snare damper 62 is pivoted at 68 to a standard 69 projecting upwardlyfromthe front rim 70 of drum 19. per 62 is, by link or wire 71,connected to the movable board 72 'ofbellows 65.

In order to impart the desired vibratory motion to beater 61, and tosimultaneously tilt damper 62, the following construction has beendevised: Tune sheet 30,1 hereinabove. referred to, is provided with asecond additional row of perforations 73, which, in uncovering acorresponding port of-ductbridge 32, admit air into a tube .74. The

latter is in communication with a duct 75 formed below a diaphragm 7 Gota primary valve-action which comprises a stem 77, an

upper valve disk 78 anda lower valve-disk 79, stem '77 resting upondiaphragm 76.

Valve disk 79 plays abovea vacuum chamber 80 formed in block 39 andconnected through passage 81 with'channel 56. Valve disk 79 controls.communication between chamber 80 and a duct 82,1while disk 78 controlscommunication between. said duct and the-atmosphere. 3 Duct 82 opensinto a flue tuating vacuum chamber 83 also formed: in

- the atmosphere.

The lower end of damdisk 86 and a lower'disk 87.. Below diaphragm 84there are formed two passages 88, 89, of which passage 88 communicates,by a tube 90, with a vacuum reducing box or chamber 91, while passage 89is, through bleed hole 92, in permanent connection with Disk 87 of thesecondary valve action controls communication between chamber 83 and apassage 93, while disk 86 controls communication between said passageand the atmosphere. Passage 93 is, by tube 94, connected to chamber 91,tubes and 94 enterin said chamber preferably near opposite ends thereof,as shown in Fi 5.

Va ve disks 86, 87 play within a corresponding recess 95 formed in block39, said recess being connected by a passage 96 to a chamber 97 formedabove a diaphragm' 98. From the latter -is suspended a tertiary valveaction consisting of a spindle 99, a lower valve disk 100, and an uppervalve disk 101. Below valve disk 100, there is formed a vacuum chamber102 which is, by duct 103, connected to vacuum chamber 80. Valve disk100 controls communication between chamber 102' and an elbow duct 104,while valve disk 101 controls communication between said duct and theatmosphere, said latter communication beingeffected through groove 39extending across block 39 i below diaphragm 98. Duct 104 is in turncontrollable by a rotary valve 105, carrying handle 106. Valve 105 is,by tube 107 and duct 108, connected with bellows 64. From thefluctuating vacuum chamber 83 there leads a tube 109 to bellows 65, sothat the latter will collapse as soon as a vacuum has been establishedwithin chamber 83 to operate damper62.

, Whenever one of the perforations 73 of tune sheet 30 uncovers thecorresponding port in duct-bridge 32, air will be admitted through tube74 to passage 75'. As the air is constantly withdrawn from chamber 80through duct 81, the admission of air to pasbleed hole 92, as well asthrough port 88,

tube 90, chamber 91, tube 94, duct 93 and an atmospheric portof chamber95, the evacuation of chamber 83 will cause an ascent of the diaphragmto close valve 86- and open valve 87. By opening valve 87, chamber- 83becomes suddenlyv connected with the comparatively large chamber. 91containing atmospheric air, so that the vacuum within chamber 83 willimmediately decrease, while simultaneously the same reduced vacuum willbe estabhshed below diaphragm 84. The "latter will thusdescend to closevalve 81 and. open 'va'1ve 86, thereby admitting jj'ospheric alrintorecess 95' and into chant-j 9-1 throughlduct '93 and tube94. ,"AS theabovedescrlbed action is but momentary,

, the'constant exhaust through 82 and 80 to 81, will not appreciablyaffect-the reduced tension in 83 and 88. The closing, however,"

ofvalve 87 will cause thereestablishment of a high vacuum within chamber83, to'effect an; immediate rising of diaphragm-84 and consequently arepetition of the operation described.. it willfthus .be seen thataslong as the duct-bridge-port'- coiiperating with.

openings 73 of tunesheet '30 remains uncovered, 'vacuum and atmosphericpressure will alternate 1n rap1d succession W1th1nre-v cess 95 Theserapid changes from vacuum to atmospheric, pressure.,. and v ce versa,within recess 95, are utilized for mparting quick vibrations to-beater61, in order to, produce the desired. tattoo. "For this-pur-.

pose, recess. 95 is, byduct 96', connected to chamber 97 -to efiectcorresponding quick vibrations of diaphragm 98, owingtto the changeofpressure in recess 95. A rise of diaphragm 98 will close valve 101 andopenvalve 100' to permit the withdrawal of air from.bellows 64:, the airescaping through,

duct 108, tube 107,- open valve 105,-elbow duct 104, under open valve'100 and duct 103. Bellows 64 will-thus collapse to bringbeater 61 intoen a 'ement with the batter head of side drum 19. The immediatelyfollowing descent of diaphragm 98 will close valve 100 and open valve101, to admit atmospheric air into bellows 64, so that the latter willbe expanded by spring 110 to withdraw beater 61 from the batter head.Beater-'61- will then again be thrown against said head and subsequentlywithdrawn therefrom, which operation w ll be repeated as long as aperm-- ration 73leaves uncovered the "cooperating port of tracker bar32. In this way the desired rapid vibration of beater 61 is obtained, so

that an effect is produced which is similar to that obtained whenplaying the drum with hand sticks. During the vibrations of beater 6'1,damper 62 is raised-off snare 63-, in the following manner: Chamber 83is exhausted,

while beater 61 is operated, as will be readily understood from theabove description As this chamber is, by tube 109, permanently connectedwith the interior ofbellows 65,

the latter will thus collapse and remain c01 lapsed during the operationof the beater.

- This is due to-thc fact that the spring 113 of bellows is of such atension that even the low vacuum periodically established withinchambers 83, 91, during the above described fluctuations, will besufficient to maintain bellows 65 collapsed. In this way the undampenedsnare is permitted to -freely vibrate on the front head of-tl e drum,whereby the desired' sharp and crisp sound is obtained. i

' .vV hen the 'port of the tracker bar, which .70- an imperforate'portion of tune The descent of diaphragm 76 will close valve -7 9 andopen valve 78.. Air will .thus be ad- 'mitted through-duct 82- intochamber 83 to cause thesiniultaneous descentv of diaphragm 84. In thisway valve 87." will be closed,

jwhilevalve 86' isop'ened toadmit air into.

recess 95, and conse$iently through duct 96 into chamber 97. iaphragm 98will thus descend to admit air through 0 encdvalve 101'into bellows 64,which will e expanded 'byspring'lw.

hen air is admitted. to chamber 83, in the manner described, an Wlll,also enter bellows 65 through tube 109, to permit spring 113 to expandsaid bellows. Damper.

62 will thus be forced: against snare 63,- to

61. has come to rest." 1 1 By properly. adjusting valve 105, the forceof the stroke of beater 61 maybe regulated,

to render the drum accompaniment more or deaden the sound of the drum,after beater less impressive, or to cause it to be entirely silence oIt'wi-ll be seen that-by the means described a pleasantaccompaniment ofthe autopneu matiopiano is obtained. As bythe use of bass drum, sidedrum and cymbal, thetime of the music played on the instrument may beemphasized, the device is particularly adapted for use in ball rooms,skating rinks and similar large places of entertainment. I claim: 1s Amusical instrument comprising a tune sheet, a side drum, a heater, aprimary valve controlled by the tune sheet, a secondary 'valve, afluctuating vacuum chamber, a

dia hragm within said chamber and contro ling the secondary valve, avacuum reducing chamber, a duct formed below the diaphragm, means forpermanently connecting said reducing chamber with said duct, meanscontrolled by the secondary valve for connecting the reducingchamberalternately with the fluctuating vacuum chamber and the.atmosphere, a tertiary valve controlled by-the secondary valve, and abellows conto operate the beater.

' 2. A musical instrument comprising a tune sheet, a side drum,a-beater, a primary valve controlled by the tune-sheet and having a pairof valve disks, a fluctuating vacuum chamber, means controlled by saiddisks for trolled by the tertiary 'valve and adapted connecting saidchamber either. with a vacuum or with the. atmosphere, a diaphragm theatmosphere, a tertiary valve controlled by the secondary valve, and abellows controlled. by the tertiary valve and adapted to operate theheater.

3. A musical instrument comprising a tune sheet, a side drum, a heater,a snare damper, a primary valve controlled by the tune sheet and havinga pair of valve disks, a fluctuating vacuum chamber, means controlled bysaid disks for connecting said chamber either with a vacuum or with theatmos here, a diaphragm forming the bottom of said chamber, a secondaryvalve having a pair of disks and controlled by the diaphragm, a ductformed below the diaphragm, a vacuum reducing chamber, means for connecting said reducing chamber with' said duct, means controlled by saidsecondary valve disks for alternately connecting the reducing chamberwith the fluctuating vacuum chamber and the atmosphere, a tertiary valvecontrolled by the secondary valve, a first bellows having a movableboard that carries the beater, means controlled by the tertiary valvefor connecting 4, A musical instrument comprising 'fi tune sheet, a sidedrum, a heater, a snare damper, ,a valve block, a recess formed in saidblock, a primary valve mounted in said blockand controlled by the tunesheet, a fluctuating vacuum chamber, means con- .trolled by said primaryvalve for connecting said fluctuating vacuum chamber either with avacuum or with the atmosphere, a diaphragm forming the bot-tom of saidfluctuating vacuum chamber, a secondary valve controlled by saiddiaphragm and having a pair of valve disks that are adapted to connectthe block recess either with the fluctuating vacuum chamber or with theatmosohere, a vacuum reducing chamber, a duct ormed bel w the diaphragm,means for connecting said reducing chamber with said duct, means forconnecting the reducing chamber with the blo ck recess, a tertiary valvehavinga' chamber that communicates with said recess, a first bellowshaving a movable board that carries the beater, means controlled by thetertiary valve for connecting said first bellows either with a vacuum orwith the atmosphere, a second bellows communicating with the fluctuatingvacuum chamber, and means for operatively connect ing the second bellowswith the snare damper.

Signed by me at St. John'sville, N. Y., this Sth'day of March, 1909'.

' JOSEPH WIESER.

Witnesses:

JOHN D. CAIRNS, ALFRED D. ENGI-ILHARD'IQ.

